SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota-based Sanford Health and Iowa’s UnityPoint Health have announced plans to merge in an agreement that would create a sprawling health system in the Upper Great Plains and Midwest. The two providers announced their plans Friday. The Argus Leader reports if the merger is approved by regulators, it could be finalized by year’s end.
The providers said the merger would place the company among the top 15 largest nonprofit health systems nationwide. The new organization would employ more than 83,000 staff, 2,600 physicians and have more than $11 billion in revenue.

UnityPoint operates 32 hospitals and has relationships with 280 physician clinics throughout Iowa, western Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Sanford Heath’s organization includes 44 hospitals, 1,400 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and nine countries.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report a collision between a car and a motorcycle resulted in the death of a man from Harlan, Thursday. Police and Rescue crews responded to the scene at around 6:20-p.m., at the intersection of 9th and Chatburn Avenue. When Officer’s arrived, they attempted to aid the motorcyclist until Medivac arrived and determined him deceased at the scene. 55-year old Scott Alan Petersen, of Harlan, was driving his motorcycle westbound on Chatburn Ave/Highway 44 when 24-year old Riley Jean Kay attempted to turn East on Chatburn from 9th Street.

Authorities said her view may have been obstructed by a vehicle in the northern most lane traveling West, slightly ahead of Petersen. An Iowa State Patrol Traffic Investigator was called in and is conducting an investigation. Chatburn Ave. between 8th St and 12th St was closed off for approximately two hours. Harlan Police were assisted at the scene by Medivac, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Harlan Fire Department.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Officials say air is leaking from the inflatable dam used by Waterloo to raise the Cedar River level for summer boaters. Waterloo city engineer Jamie Knutson says the leak was detected Thursday during normal maintenance, but it’s uncertain exactly where on the dam it is and how much air is rushing out. Knutson told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that the city won’t know how soon the leak can be repaired and at what cost until a contractor can start working on it.

The city has inflated the bladder dam since 2009, raising the Cedar River level by about 4 feet. It’s usually inflated in June and deflated in October. Knutson says boaters would be wise to be extra cautious on the river this year, given the loss of the liquid safety margin.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Sioux City eye clinic manager stole more than $6,100 in a credit card scheme and planned to use customer information to take out loans. Woodbury County court records say 36-year-old Amy Inniss-Reyes, of Sioux City, is charged with theft and tampering with records. Her attorney didn’t immediately return a call Friday from The Associated Press.

A criminal complaint says Inniss-Reyes was managing two Exact Eye Care branches between April 19 and May 30 when she used three of her credit cards to obtain fraudulent refunds. The complaint says she also told investigators that she made copies of 20 patients’ personal records, intending to use them to obtain loans. The copies were recovered from her home.

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 5.